The origin of Demzilla. As I recall, at the time much was made over the Clinton's using taxpayer money to maintain a politically proprietary database. But, like all the felonies they committed, the accusation was swept under the rug.
Posted on 02/18/2005 9:33:09 AM PST by anniegetyourgun
Outgoing Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Terry McAuliffe has given the House and Senate political committees access to “Demzilla,” the massive computer voter database that has brought the DNC closer to information parity with the Republicans.
The sharing of Demzilla could mark the beginning of a new regime of information-sharing among Democratic political committees that have long competed with each other to reach a limited donor universe. Democratic strategists said Demzilla will have a much greater impact on the party’s congressional fortunes than McAuliffe’s other 11th-hour bequest: the transfer of $1 million to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC).
The new DNC chairman, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, said last week that he was aware, and fully supportive, of giving the committees access to Demzilla. Both Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), chairman of the DCCC, and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), chairman of the DSCC, pleaded with McAuliffe to share the file, according to aides.
“I have been told about Demzilla,” Dean said, adding, “I am a big fan of Terry McAuliffe. Everything we do today stands on the shoulders of his fundraising efforts.”
The carefully guarded database contains more than 170 million records, with files that have been scrubbed and updated. They include hundreds of bytes of information about voter behavior and consumer preferences.
While Demzilla might not have the high money yield of donor files in Dean’s Democracy For America organization or the group EMILY’s List, party strategists said Demzilla has the most comprehensive compilation of data available to Democrats and contains more raw information than most other lists combined.
The Republican National Committee has a similar computer file, Voter Vault, but has always shared access with GOP congressional committees. However, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) have paid for its upkeep.
“We pay for part of the maintenance of the voter file, so we have full access to it,” said Carl Forti, spokesman for the NRCC. “We’ve had access for years, so it’s not like this is something new.”
In contrast, Demzilla was created, paid for and housed by the DNC.
At the House Democratic retreat earlier this month, Emanuel told his colleagues that they will be able to avail themselves of the 170 million files, according to several aides.
“It’s really a tremendous thing. They created a central database, cleaned the files and made sure they were working, and they updated all of that,” a DCCC aide said. “This isn’t only the biggest list, it’s the most refined. It’s where the Republicans had the biggest advantage over us in the last two years.”
Democratic strategists said that new realities of relying on small-dollar donors made the sharing of Demzilla an imperative for the party to continue to compete with Republicans.
“It’s the holy grail, and given the constrictions of campaign finance laws, and with the strength of technologically targeting voters and donors, it’s an extraordinarily important development for the new regime at the DCCC,” said Bob Doyle, a Democratic strategist who represents many centrist candidates.
“This is one of the unique strengths that Pelosi brings to the table as the DCCC gets down to focusing on the small-donor base and the whole party becomes more technologically driven,” Doyle added. “This is where Pelosi becomes a much better leader.”
Pelosi said she hopes to travel less this cycle to raise money, relying on Emanuel’s expertise and enthusiasm to fill the DCCC’s coffers, adding, “I have complete confidence in his decisions.”
"I'm 110-percent behind Tom Eagleton as my vice-presidential running-mate!" -George McGovern, circa, July, 1972
Is Dean really supportive of this? I doubt it. The DNC's brokering power in the Democratic party is now gone.
The origin of Demzilla. As I recall, at the time much was made over the Clinton's using taxpayer money to maintain a politically proprietary database. But, like all the felonies they committed, the accusation was swept under the rug.
Gov. Dean is going to spend a lot more time tap-dancing and blowing smoke in upcoming months. Bottom line is this: He cannot stand an enormous party of the Democratic party and a large number of Dems cannot abide him either.
As soon as Dean became chairman(or it appeared as though he would become so), Democratic members of Congress began stating, in fairly strong terms, that they would establish party policy - not the DNC. I believe the first one out of the box with this assertion was Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland.
Good luck, Dr. Dean, you're gonna need it.
Yes, it still makes me angry to think we (the taxpayer) paid for the inception of this.
If you give this list to every dem representative or senate staff, how long do you think before the repubs have a copy of this list?
I mean these dems can't even keep secret national secrets.
True, but R's will do the right thing if they come across it. Besides, it doesn't do R's much good - except to the extent that it uncovers foreign contacts who are illegally attempting to influence our elections.
I know a very small amount about direct mail...The issue here is NOT sharing the list..rather it's coordinating the mailings..you can't solicit the SAME group repeatedly in a short time..the different constituencies have to be willing to work together, to coordinate the timing ..and Dems are busy now eating their own..ergo..I predict a disaster..
Rush talked about this earlier - he said it was a GIANT diss of Dean on McAwful's part, and that Dean is most angry.
Factions arguing over control of the donor lists is a sign of cardiac arrest for any political organization.
It's gonna leave a mark.
Thanks. It's nice to see someone else remembers this transgression. I think most folks have forgotten.
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